Replay Mod is a client-side mod for Minecraft Java Edition that saves your gameplay to a lightweight replay file, then lets you revisit it from any angle instead of the fixed view you recorded from. This guide covers installing it for Fabric or Forge, where your recordings end up, how to move a free camera through the Replay Viewer, how to build a cinematic path with keyframes, and how to render that path to a finished video.
Installing Replay Mod
Replay Mod ships a Fabric build for current Minecraft releases and a Forge build that stops at Minecraft 1.12.2, the last version the Forge side targeted. Either way, it needs only the loader itself. There is no required dependency on Fabric API or another mod.
- 1.Install Fabric for your Minecraft version, or Forge if you're staying on 1.12.2 or earlier.
- 2.Download the Replay Mod jar matching that loader and version.
- 3.Drop the jar into your .minecraft/mods folder with your other mods.
- 4.Launch the game. A small recording indicator appears in the corner once you're in a world.
Recording starts automatically
Once installed, Replay Mod records every session by default, unless you turn that off in the Replay Settings menu. When you disconnect, the session is saved to .minecraft/replay_recordings as a .mcpr file. The format is compact: an average hour-long recording stays under 10 MB, small enough to keep a long backlog or send a file to someone else.
Opening the Replay Viewer
Open the Replay Viewer from the main menu to see every saved session. Select one to rename it, delete it, or load it into a free-roaming spectator camera with a full timeline scrubber you can drag to any point in the recording. This is the free camera view that a normal screen recording can't give you, since you're no longer locked to the perspective you played from.
Building a camera path with keyframes
The Keyframe Timeline is where a replay turns into a directed shot. The green diamond button drops a position keyframe at the camera's current spot, and the mod smoothly interpolates a path between every keyframe you place, either a curved or a straight line. The green hourglass button adds a time keyframe, which speeds up or slows down that segment of the path independently of the camera's movement, and the blue diamond button adds a spectator keyframe that locks the view to a specific entity instead of a fixed point.
- H previews the current path without leaving the timeline.
- O toggles a keyframe's interpolation between a curved and a straight line.
- P plays back the replay along the path you've built.
- Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y undo and redo keyframe edits.
Rendering the path to video
Once the path is ready, open Render Settings to set resolution, frame rate, and encoder. Replay Mod supports four render modes: a standard flat video, stereoscopic 3D, cubic 360, and equirectangular for VR headsets.
Common problems
- Rendering does nothing or fails outright: FFmpeg usually isn't installed, or isn't where Replay Mod expects it. Install it for your OS and confirm Render Settings picks it up before trying again.
- Output looks like a folder of images instead of a video: that's the PNG or OpenEXR fallback Replay Mod uses without FFmpeg, not a bug. Install FFmpeg and re-render, or encode the frames yourself.
- Recordings or the mod itself won't load: Replay Mod expects a standard Minecraft directory layout, so a heavily customized or unsupported launcher can keep it from finding the recordings folder.
- It doesn't run on Lunar Client: Replay Mod isn't compatible with Lunar Client. Play through the vanilla launcher, MultiMC, or Prism Launcher with Fabric or Forge installed instead.
Frequently asked questions
Does Replay Mod work on Lunar Client?
No. Replay Mod is not compatible with Lunar Client. Run it through the vanilla Minecraft launcher, MultiMC, or Prism Launcher with Fabric or Forge installed instead.
Where are Replay Mod recordings saved?
In .minecraft/replay_recordings, as .mcpr files. An average hour-long recording stays under 10 MB, so recordings are easy to keep around or share with someone else.
Do I need Fabric API for Replay Mod?
No. Replay Mod has no required dependency on Fabric API, or on any other mod. Only the loader itself, Fabric or Forge, needs to be installed.
Do I need FFmpeg to render Replay Mod videos?
Only if you want a finished video file. FFmpeg is required to export MP4, WebM, or MKV footage; without it, Replay Mod exports the frames as PNG or OpenEXR images instead, which you can encode with other software afterward.
Does Replay Mod work with Forge on newer Minecraft versions?
No. The Forge build stops at Minecraft 1.12.2, the last version it targeted. For any newer release, install Replay Mod's Fabric build instead.
